Modern Foreign Languages

The Language Angels scheme

Vision for Modern Foreign Languages

At Dove Bank, we believe that learning a language prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly carried out in languages other than English.

The learning of a language provides a valuable educational, social and cultural experience for the pupils, where they develop communication and literacy skills that lay the foundation for future language learning.

They develop linguistic competence, extend their knowledge of how the language works and explore differences and similarities between the target language and English.

Learning another language raises awareness of the multilingual and multicultural world, and introduces an international dimension to pupils’ learning, giving them an insight into their own culture and those of others.

As pupils begin to understand and appreciate different cultures, people and communities, they too begin to think of themselves as citizens of the world as well as of the United Kingdom.

Moreover, the learning of a language provides a medium for cross-curricular links and for reinforcement of knowledge, skills and understanding developed in other subjects.

What’s New?

Dove Bank Primary School intends to use the Language Angels scheme of work and resources to ensure we offer a relevant, broad, vibrant and ambitious foreign languages curriculum that will inspire and excite our pupils using a wide variety of topics and themes.

All pupils will be expected to achieve their full potential by encouraging high expectations and excellent standards in their foreign language learning – the ultimate aim being that pupils will feel willing and able to continue studying languages beyond key stage 2.

Subject Leader Biography

Hello, my name is Mrs Fletcher and I have the pleasure of leading Modern Foreign Languages here at Dove Bank.

We have chosen French as our focus language, which is a language that is very important to me and we go on our family holidays to France every summer.

I am really excited to introduce our new scheme and I hope that the children will develop a love for the language and the country.

Subject priorities

To support pupils to develop and demonstrate progress in the 5 key language skills necessary for learning French:

Speaking
Listening
Reading
Writing
Grammar

We aim to ensure that pupils of all abilities develop solid foundations in these key language learning skills – properly preparing them for the next stage of their language learning journey.

Staff CPD – to provide staff at Dove Bank with a high-quality scheme to support the teaching and learning of French across the school.

Useful links

French Games

BBC BItesize

Curriculum Statement

Intent

The intent is that all content will be continuously updated and reviewed annually, creating a dynamic programme of study. This will ensure that the foreign language knowledge of our pupils progresses within each academic year and is extended year upon year throughout the primary phase and, in so doing, will always be relevant and in line with meeting or exceeding national DfE requirements.

The four key language learning skills; listening, speaking, reading and writing will be taught and all necessary grammar will be covered in an age-appropriate way across the primary phase.

The intent is that all pupils will develop a genuine interest and positive curiosity about foreign languages, finding them enjoyable and stimulating and they will be working towards becoming life-long language learners.

Implementation

All classes will have access to a very high-quality foreign languages curriculum using the Language Angels scheme of work and resources. This will progressively develop pupil skills in foreign languages through regularly taught and well-planned lessons in Key Stage 2 which will be taught by our class teachers and cover supervisors.

All teachers will know where every child is at any point in their foreign language learning journey.

Language Angels are categorised by ‘Teaching Type’ to make it easier for teachers to choose units that will offer the appropriate level of challenge and stretch for the classes they are teaching.

Early Language Units (entry level) and Core Vocabulary lessons are designed to run for approximately 30 minutes. Intermediate, Progressive and Creative Curriculum units are designed to run for approximately 45 minutes.

Children will build on previous knowledge gradually as their foreign language lessons continue to recycle, revise and consolidate previously learnt language whilst building on all four language skills.

Grammar is integrated and taught discreetly throughout all appropriate units. Teachers can also use the specific Grammar Explained units to ensure pupils are exposed to all of the appropriate grammar so they are able to create their own accurate and personalised responses to complex authentic foreign language questions by the end of the primary phase.

The school has a unit planner in place which will serve as an overall ‘teaching map’ outlining for all teachers within the school what each class in each year group will be taught and when it will be taught. Each class in each year group will have an overview of units to be taught during the academic year to ensure substantial progress and learning is achieved. Each teaching unit is divided into 6 fully planned lessons.

Units are progressive within themselves as subsequent lessons within a unit build on the language and knowledge taught in previous lessons. In addition to following the lessons provided in the Language Angels scheme of work and resources, teachers are encouraged to also do some of the following:

Foreign language celebration assemblies.
Cookery sessions of traditional foods from the country of the language being studied.
Fashion shows demonstrating typical / traditional clothing from the country of the language being studied.
Weather forecasts based on maps from the country of the language being studied.
School celebrations of national feast days from the country of the language being studied when appropriate to facilitate a whole school approach to foreign language learning along with improved cultural awareness.

Impact

Early Learning units will start at basic noun and article level and will teach pupils how to formulate short phrases. By the time pupils reach Progressive units they will be exposed to much longer text and will be encouraged to formulate their own, more personalised responses based on a much wider bank of vocabulary, linguistic structures and grammatical knowledge. They will be able to create longer pieces of spoken and written language and are encouraged to use a variety of conjunctions, adverbs, adjectives, opinions and justifications.

Pupils will continuously build on their previous knowledge as they progress in their foreign language learning journey through the primary phase. Previous language will be recycled, revised, recalled and consolidated whenever possible and appropriate.

The opportunity to assess pupil learning and progression in the key language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing) and against the 12 DfE Languages Programme of Study for Key Stage 2 attainment targets is provided at the end of each 6-week teaching unit. This information will be recorded and will be monitored.